The 4-hour Erection: Fact or Myth?

In their high-profile, market-penetrating advertising campaigns, Viagra® and Cialis® both warn that one should seek immediate medical attention if, having taken their medications, one experiences an erection that lasts more than 4 hours. Question: isn't 3 hours long enough?

Priapism is the medical term for an unrelenting erection in the absence of the Hamslucker twins (see previous post). By definition, it's a boner that is not necessarily in response to sexual arousal or desire, though it can start out that way. It's just there. The cause is a failure of the erectile mechanism to either shut down the inflow of blood to the penis or failure to relax the valves that allow blood to flow out. The disease is nothing at which to shake a stick. It can lead to permanent erectile dysfunction and even penile necrosis. Penile necrosis = Dead dick = Gangrene and amputation = Bummer.

The malady is named after the Greek god Priapus – a god of gardens and fertility – who had a grotesque little body with a huge penis [gotta love that Greek imagination]. A son of Aphrodite – the god of love – Priapus liked to chase after nymphs. Hell, even guys with little dicks like to do that.

Though not directly related to any group or race, Sickle cell disease has been shown to predispose one to priapism. Since Sickle cell is much more prominent in the African American population, Black men are more likely to experience a perpetual putter. One study cited about 40% of adult patients with Sickle cell disease experiencing at least one occurrence of priapism. Fortunately it's very rare in all cases.

Priapism is a disease primarily of men, though there have been rare cases of Clitoral priapism. One, two, three... just counting the number of completely inappropriate jokes I could make about that.

According to WebMD, “Deaths have been reported in patients with sickle cell disease presenting with priapism, but the cause of death usually is not related to the priapism per se but to complications from the underlying disease process.” No choice but to have an open-casket funeral. I wonder, do they have to dig the grave down an extra 12 inches? And what do you write on the tombstone?

You may be asking, in light of previous posts, why I'm even dealing with this issue inasmuch as I advocate against the use of ED drugs. Well, as I relate in my book, there is a case for using these meds just to jump-start your wanger after a long period of abstinence, once you're “healthy enough” to have sex, of course.

So, should you test the waters with these pills, the basic message of this post is that:

1. The 4-hour boner is highly unlikely. Don't worry about it.
2. If you have the Sickle cell gene, you may want to limit yourself to a low-dosage, or do what you can to treat your ED with the many non-medicinal modalities that are available.
3. And just be aware that this possible unintended effect is very serious. As embarrassing as it may be, seek medical attention ASAP if “it” just won't go away.

Final note: as unlikely as it may be, priapism is possible even without having taken ED medications. After you finish repeating “I just can't believe this is f***ing happening,” about a hundred times, get to the emergency room. But don't miss the opportunity to hang a wet towel on it and take some pictures; they'll look great on your Facebook page.

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HARD! Maintaining Potency, Eliminating Erectile Dysfunction, and Enjoying Healthy Sex for Life is not just for those with ED, but for all men who want to keep functioning throughout their life. A concise and powerful men’s health guide, HARD! provides a protocol for how to do everything right. 

Available at BN.com/Nook, Apple, and Amazon/Kindle.

Also available in all eBook formats for immediate download: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65109.